Mooring device



E. L. KULICK MOORING DEVICE May 31, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 10, 1959 ITToAWE EDWARD L. KUUCK, BY

E. L. KULICK MOORING DEVICE May 31, 1960 Filed Aug. 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EDWARD \..Kuucv BY x. Q22. A rmnmst MOORING DEVICE Edward L. Kulick, 4516 SW. 28th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Filed Aug. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 832,538

6 Claims. (Cl. 114-230) This invention relates to mooring devicm and particularly to a mooring device for connecting a boat or similar structure to a permanent landing stage or dock in a manner that permits of the boat rising and falling with the tide and also moving laterally toward and from the dock within limits.

The invention contemplates a socket device that is fixedly disposed at predetermined spaced points along the sides of a boat, preferably adjacent to the bow and the stern for the reception of a flexible spring device that constitutes a yieldable means for the lateralshift ing movement of the boat and with the spring means at its free end being connected to a brace arm that is in turn, detachably connected to a piling or other similar fixed structure of the dock.

The invention further contemplates a brace arm of telescopic construction that may be extended in accordance with the desired positioning of the boat away from the pier or dock.

A further object of the invention resides in a novel detachable connecting unit that is engaged with the pier and particularly, the piling that projects above the pier and whereby to constitute a detachable connecting means for one end of the brace arm.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device Will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, showing a fragmentary portion of a boat and a fragmentary portion of a dock,

and illustrating the invention in connected relation thereto,

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section through the dock and the boat illustrating the mooring device and showing the movement of the device in dotted lines,

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly embodying the socket, the spring, the brace arm and the connecting plate for the piling,

Figure 4 is a face view of the plate that engages the Figure 5 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 55 of Figure 3 and,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of brace arm and illustrating an adjustable lock device for the extension thereof.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a boat or other marine craft and 6 designates a fixed dock, normally constituting the landing.

stage for boat structures. The dock embodies a floor section 7 and spaced apart piling 8.

Fixed upon any desirable deck portion 5' are at least two fixed socket devices, illustrated as a whole by the numeral 9. The socket devices 9 may be in the form of cleats, commonly employed for the wrapping of rope or other flexible elements therearound, commonly employed in boat structures. The socket devices 9 embody 2,938,492 Patented May-31 1960 the upper end of which is provided with an eye 16. The

spring 15 is normally inserted within the socket 10 and fixed against displacement by a screw 17.

Adapted to be detachably connected with the piling 8, is a preferably elongated angle plate 18, the oppositemarginal edges of which are provided with a plurality of piercing prongs 19, that face in a direction from the rear side of the plate 18 to bite within the piling- 8.; The plate 18 adjacent its upper and lower ends are struck' outwardly and bent inwardly to form tongues 20. The

tongues 20 constitute wrapping sockets for a flexible cord 21, that is connected at one end to the plate 18, as at 22. The plate 18, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. is adapted to be engaged with the piling 8 upon that side of the piling facing the boat. The plate 18 is pressed firmly against the side of the piling and fixed in position by winding the cord 21 back and forth around the piling 8, looping the cord around the sockets from the tongues 20, thus securely holding the plate against slipping or movement either around the piling or vertically with respect to the piling by the partial piercing movement of the prongs 19. The plate 18 at its apex and intermediate its height, is provided with a fixed horizontally arranged eye 23. The eye 23, as shown particularly in Figure 3 is open, for a purpose to be presently described.

Adapted tobe connected with the eye 16 and the eye 23, is a telescopic brace arm, indicated as a whole by' tion of the brace arm 24, with the spring 15 and theplate 18 permits of a generally universal movement with, respect to the'assembly. Thesocket 10, asclearly illus-@ trated is preferably provided with oppositely extending;

cleat arms 30, that may be employed as the wrapping means for mooring lines or the like, thus forming. a

combined socket and cleat having a dual purpose. I

Referring now to Figure 6, there has been illustrated fragmentarily a brace arm 31, embodying telescopic sec-. tions 32 and 33 that are axially movable-with respect 7 to each other. The section 32 has welded or otherwise connected thereto a pair of bars 34. Engaged with the bars 34 to be rockableftoward. and from each other,=

are a pair of apertured disk elements 35, having their lower portions provided with tongues 36, that seat Within. a slot 37 formed in the-lower bar 34. The elements 35 are adapted to be forced apart by a spring 38, to form a gripupon the surface of the'section 33.0f the brace arm 31, to thereby hold, the section 33 against shifting movement with respect to the section 32. Such clamping devices are well known in the art and are illustrated as a novel means for retaining the sections of the brace arm in. adjusted relationship. The clamping means formed by the disks 35 are released when the disks are shifted together against the tension of the spring 38.

In the use of the device, the socket devices 9 are permanently fixed with respect to the boat 5 at the predetermined points. The assembly, including the spring 15;

the brace arms 24 and the attaching plate-18 may be essence connected or, the spring and the brace arm 24 may be connected together permanently for subsequent connection to the eye 23 when the plate 18 is fixed to the piling. Whenthe boat 'is to be moored-'to' thedock' 6, it is com: mon practice to first connect th'ebo'at by thefu'sual spring lines, not'shown, to hold the boat against shifting. "The operator then attaches the plates 18 against manner faces of the piling 8, firmly binding 'theplate to the piling by wrapping the cords '21 back' and forth around the piling. and under the tongues 20. The section 25 isthen engaged with the eye 23 and, assuming that the section 26 has already been engaged with the eye 16, the spring 15 is inserted downwardly into'the' socket '10; being clamped against 'ax-ial movement by the screw 17. The braces 24 may then be axially adjusted by their telescopi'c'rnovementto a degree calculated to prevent the boat fromstrikin'g; againstthe dock under the influence of waves or the usualwake that is normally set up when other boats are traversing the waterway. The boat now may rise and fall with the tide, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 or, lateral motion of the boat is permitted within limits by thefiexibility of the spring 15, also illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 2. The spring 15 being yieldable to arcuate form, provides a very desirable yieldable means that successfully holds the boat in any-normal rocking or rising motion'and the boat may move in a line parallel with the dock-within limits,' as determined by the'spring lines. The device-thus oifers' a ver'y desirable flexible connecting means for the mooring'of boats that permit of all normal motions of the boat both as to wave conditions and the rise and fall of tide conditions and maintains the boat in a predetermined spaced relation with respect to the dock at all times with the possibility of the boat being damaged by striking against the side of the clock. The device in its-assembled form is quickly and easily attached to the boat and the dock and, when not in use, the device requires relatively little storage space. It is contemplated that the several parts shall be formed of materials havinga high For use with a private dock, such as those commonly employed degree of resistance to rusting or corrosion.

by home owners adjacent their property, a separate plate 18-maybefixed upon the piling 8 as a permanent con nection for the brace arms 24, only requiring that the operator, when-docking the boat, engage'the'membe'r '25 with the eye 23 andthen set the spring l'within the socket" 10. The portable assembly of course is carried within the" boat for use in fastening or, securing the boat toother dock structures" where the plates 18 are would normally hook the boat under the dock when the tideagain rises, thus either 'damagingthe boat or possibly causingthe boat to be submerged, should the tide be exceptionally high.

It is to beunderstood that theinvention' is not limited to'-'the precise construction shown, but that changes-are contemplatedas readily fall within the spirit 'of the invention' asshallbe' determined by the scope of the subjo'i'ned claims.

Having describedmy inventiomwhat I claim as new and desire to secure byv Letters Patentisi l. A mooring'device of the character described in combination with a" boat and a dock having upstanding piling; the mooring device'embodying an upwardly openingsocketthat is fixed with respect to the boat, a coil spring adapted to be engaged withinthe socket to be disposedin an upright manner, the spring at its upper and being"provided"with'an 'eye', a connector device"for detachable engagement with the piling and'comprising a plate having marginal edges, the plate along its marginal edges being provided with a plurality of prongs for biting engagement into the piling, a tie device carried by the plate and that is adapted to be wrapped around the piling for holding the plate against displacement, the plate being provided with an open eye, a brace arm having telescopic sections and with each section being provided at its free end with an aperture, the aperture of one section having engagement with respect to the eye of the spring, while the aperture of the other section has engagement within the eye of.the plate, the said brace arm being shiftable both vertically and horizontally under the influence of movements of the boat due to tide conditions, the said spring being yieldable laterally with respect to thesocketwhen the boat is shifted laterally under wave conditions; I v p 2; The structure according to claim 1 wherein the plate is angular to partially embrace the piling, the said eye carried by the plate being disposed outwardly from the apex of the angle and means formed upon the plate whereby to provide sockets for the'lacing reception of the tie device. a

3'. The structureaccordingto claim 1 wherein the spring seats within the bottom of the socket and with the coils of the springbeing: close packed, a set screw carried by the" socket to bind against the coils within the'socket for maintaining the spring against displacement, the said socket being provided with oppositely extending cleat forming arms. a

4. A mooring device of the character described in combination with a dock having upstanding piling and a'boat, a socket device fixed upon'the boat and with the socket device being upwardly opening, a close packed coil spring'seated within the socket to extend upwardly above the socket in a vertical plane, the spring at its upperend having a closed eye, a connector device for connection with the piling that comprises a triangular plate, the plate along its vertical marginal edges being provided with sharpened prongs, the connector at its apex" being provided with an open eye, the plate being provided outwardly directed tongues that form sockets'ioi" the'winding and seating reception of a tie cord that is" adapted to be wound around the pile and laced with respect to the tongues and whereby to hold springproviding hinge joints'wherebyi the boat may rise,

andfall under the influence of tide conditions and with thespring beinglaterally flexible to permit'lateral shifting of the boat under the influence of wave conditions and means for adjustably holding the telescopic sections in adjustedposition'i p 5. The'structure according to claim 4,wherein the adjustablemeans' comprises a set screw for holding the brace adjusted'position in accordance with the spacingt oftheboat-from the dock.-

6; The structure'according to claim 4'wherein one section of the brace arm is provided with a pair of clamping vdisks that are biased to clamping position by a springdevic'e, the clamping disks being apertured for the reception of the other of said sections and whereby to hold the section in adjusted'relation.

' References Cited-"inthe' file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,912,953

Olsen Nov. 17,1939 

